MultiProtocol Label Switching (MPLS) networks often include multiple paths that facilitate the flow of traffic from a source to a destination. In such MPLS networks, some network devices may have the same Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) prefix but distinguish themselves from one another by differing protocol next-hop addresses. These network devices and/or supporting BGP controllers or route reflectors may advertise the respective routes, which each include the same BGP prefix but a different protocol next-hop address.
As a specific example, an MPLS network may include various edge routers and 12 Equal-Cost Multi-Path (ECMP) paths. In this example, these ECMP paths may share the BGP prefix “100.1.1.1” but have 12 different protocol next-hop addresses ranging from “1.1.1.1” to “1.1.1.12”. In a traditional configuration, the edge routers may need to maintain 12 copies of the same prefix—one for each route. However, since the Internet may include more than 500,000 routes, the edge routers may maintain each of these 12 copies of the same prefix in connection with the more 500,000 Internet routes, thereby leading to a significant memory management burden for the edge routers.
Moreover, the edge routers may need to update and/or manage their routing tables on a fairly regular basis to account for topology changes and/or system faults (among other reasons). Unfortunately, this update process may consume a significant amount of resources on the edge routers and add to the existing memory management burden. The instant disclosure, therefore, identifies and addresses a need for improved apparatuses, systems, and methods for improved memory consumption in network devices via efficient route management.